Story Lessons on Character-Building (Morals) and Manners Part 9

All nice and clean is she, Her pinafore is smooth and straight, Her hair neat as can be; No wrinkled sock, or untied lace Does this neat, tidy girl disgrace.

48. p.u.s.s.y and the Knitting.

I wonder if you have heard of p.u.s.s.y getting mother's knitting and making it all in a tangle. These are the verses about it:--

PUSS IN MISCHIEF.[11]

1. "Where are you, kitty?

Where are you?--say.

I've scarcely seen you At all to-day.

2. "You're not in mischief, I hope, my dear; Ah! now I have found you.

How came you here?

3. "That's mother's knitting, You naughty kit; Oh! such a tangle You've made of it.

4. "'Twas =that= which kept you So very still; Mamma will scold you, I know she will."

5. Then puss comes to me, And rubs her fur Against my fingers, And says "purr, purr".

6. I know she means it To say, "Don't scold,"

So close in my arms My puss I hold.

7. And then I tell her, My little pet, That mother's knitting She must not get.

8. The wool will never Be wound, I fear; But mother forgives My kitty dear.

I do not suppose that p.u.s.s.y would =know= she was doing anything naughty in tangling the wool, but a =child= would know, of course, that wool must be kept straight and tidy if it is to be of use.

49. The Packing of the Trunks.

Nellie and Madge were two little girls getting ready to go for a visit to grandmamma. She lived many miles away, and the children were to go by train and stay with her for a whole month.

Their clothes were all laid on the bed ready for packing, and as mother wanted them to grow up =helpful= girls, she said they might put the things in the boxes themselves. So Nellie and Madge began to pack.

Nellie took each article by itself, and laid it carefully in the box without creasing, putting all the heavier things at the bottom, and the dresses and lighter articles at the top. When she had laid them all in, the lid just closed nicely, and her work was finished.

Then she turned to see what Madge was doing. Madge had not packed more than half her pile, and the box was full. "What shall I do?" she cried, "I =cannot= get them all in." Just then mamma came up and said: "Have you finished, children? it is nearly train time". Her eyes fell on the box Madge was packing, and she exclaimed, "Oh! Madge, you have put the clothes in anyhow, everything must be taken out!" Madge had just thrown them in "higgledy-piggledy," instead of laying them straight, and they came out a crumpled heap. She was so hot and flurried, and so afraid of being late for the train, that she could hardly keep the tears back, but mamma and Nellie helped to straighten the things, and to pack them neatly, and just as the cab drove up to the door the last frock was laid in the box, and the lid went down without any trouble. Madge remembered to take more pains next time she packed her box.

I was in a house one day, and when the lady opened a drawer to get something out, the articles in the drawer =bounced up= just like a "Jack in the box," because you see, they had been put in anyhow, and then crushed down to allow the drawer to be closed. Of course she could not find what she wanted. I hope none of =your= drawers are like a "Jack in the box". I wonder if untidy people are lazy? I am afraid they are.

A girl came home from school one day, and threw her wet cloak on a chair all in a heap, instead of hanging it up nicely on a peg. When she next wanted to wear the cloak, it was all over creases and not fit to put on.

Perhaps she thought that mother would see it on the chair, and hang it up for her, but a nice, thoughtful child would not like to give mother the trouble, would she?

(Blackboard.)

Be Tidy and Neat.

FOOTNOTE:

[11] _New Recitations for Infants_, p. 41.

XXI. MODESTY.

50. The Violet.

Two friends were walking along a country road, and as they went on one said: "I do believe there are violets somewhere on this bank, the air smells so sweet". The other lady replied that she did not see any; but, looking carefully, they at last found the leaves, and there, hiding away among them, was the little sweet violet, with its delicious scent.

Why does the little violet hide away? Because she is =modest=, which means that she does not like to =boast=, or make a display of her pretty petals and sweet perfume. =Modest= people do not like to talk of kind, n.o.ble or clever things they may have done; they prefer to =hide= their good deeds, and in this they are like the violet.

51. Modesty in Dress.

There is another way in which children can be modest--they can be modest about dress. A child's dress is not so long as that of a grown-up person, because children want to romp and play about, but a =modest= child always likes its dress to cover it nicely, and will take care that no b.u.t.tons are unfastened.

One evening some children were playing about on the hearthrug, when one of them, a little girl named Jessie, jumped up quite suddenly, and, with a blushing face, ran out of the room. The governess followed to see what was the matter, and Jessie told her in a whisper that she was =so= ashamed, because in romping about her dress had gone above her knees.

Some people might say that Jessie was =too= modest, but I do not think so; a nice little girl will always like to keep her knees covered.

In America the children have much longer dresses than in our country, and they would think little girls very rude who were not as careful as Jessie.

You will think for yourselves of many other ways in which children can be modest. It is a good rule never to do =anything= that we would be ashamed for teacher or mother to see.

XXII. ON GIVING PLEASURE TO OTHERS.

52. "Selfless" and "Thoughtful"--a Fairy Tale.

"Selfless" and "Thoughtful" were sisters of the little "Gold-wings"

(Story Lesson 1). I cannot tell you which of the two was the sweetest and best; they were =both= so lovable, for like "Gold-wings" they were always thinking of others, and especially of how they could give pleasure to the sick and weak. One day, as they sat on a mossy bank in the Fairy wood, "Selfless" asked, "What shall we do next, sister?" and "Thoughtful" made answer, "I have been thinking of little Davie, who is so lame and weak; suppose I go to the Kindergarten and try to get some one to be kind to him". "A good idea," replied "Selfless," "and I will fly over the fields and see what can be done there; then in the moonlight we will meet, and tell each other what we have done." So they spread their pretty wings and flew away.

Now it is night in the Fairy wood, and in the silver moonlight the sisters rest again on the mossy bank and talk.

53. The Bunch of Roses.

"I flew to the Kindergarten," said "Thoughtful," "you know Davie used to attend there before he was ill. Of course no one saw me, and as I hovered over the teacher's desk, little Bessie, a rosy-cheeked maid, came up and laid a lovely bunch of crimson roses upon it for the teacher. The scent was so delicious I could not help nestling down into one of the roses to enjoy it better. The teacher picked up the flowers, not knowing I was there, and as she buried her face in the soft petals, to smell the sweet perfume, I whispered 'Send them to Davie'."